Opposition Holds Mock Impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi

Opposition parties held a symbolic 'impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, of the Election Commission of India, in New Delhi on Saturday, 31 October 2026. ThePrint reports that the proceeding took place at 10 Rajaji Marg, the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, as part of the opposition's 'vote chori' campaign.

The event had been announced for 30 October at 3:30 pm, according to a PTI report of 28 October, so the date differs between the two reports. The venue had first been sought at Ashok Hotel and Ramlila Maidan; the party says permission for both was denied.

What the Mock Proceeding Is and What It Is Not

The proceeding was a mock parliament. ThePrint reports that a six-point resolution against Kumar was moved by Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. The resolution calls for Kumar's immediate removal from office.

The proceeding does not remove him from office. Article 324(5) of the Constitution says the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge.

Under Article 124(4), a Supreme Court judge can be removed only for proved misbehaviour or incapacity. Each House of Parliament must present an address seeking removal in the same session. In each House, the motion needs a majority of its total membership and at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. The President then issues an order removing the judge.

What the Opposition Alleges About the SIR

The resolution accuses Kumar of taking part in an alleged plan to manipulate elections through changes to voter rolls. It holds him responsible for the removal of 13.2 crore voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

It also cites changes to Form 6 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which it says were made without parliamentary oversight. It says control of voter rolls has been centralised through the ERONET and ECINET systems, with local officers restricted. It alleges that two election commissioners were excluded from decisions, that the Commission is biased towards the BJP, and that opposition leaders were denied hearings.

The deletion figure varies by speaker. Rahul Gandhi said 13.3 crore voters were deleted, about 15 per cent of the electorate. The resolution and RJD MP Abhay Kushwaha cited 13.2 crore. Kushwaha also cited about 47 lakh deletions in Bihar.

Kharge said the first trial of 'vote theft' through the SIR took place in Bihar. Kushwaha called for Kumar's immediate removal and for a treason case to be registered against him. Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India said Kumar had damaged the credibility of the Election Commission and of India. Sagarika Ghose of the Trinamool Congress said the 2026 Bengal election was stolen. These are the speakers' claims and are not independently verified in this report.

The Formal Notices Rejected in April

The opposition had already tried the formal route. Notices seeking Kumar's removal were submitted in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. All India Radio reported on 7 April 2026 that Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla refused to admit them.

The two Secretariats said the decision followed a careful and objective assessment of the issues involved. The notices alleged a partisan attitude by the Chief Election Commissioner. The report quotes no statement from either presiding officer.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, wrote on X that Kumar had lied to the Supreme Court. This report does not cite a Supreme Court order on the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, and the court's role in the dispute appears here only through Ramesh's remark.

The proceeding is symbolic, and the Constitution applies the same removal process as for a Supreme Court judge to the Chief Election Commissioner.

What Happens Next as of 1 November 2026

The next scheduled step is a rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, 1 November 2026, according to ThePrint. Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said, in a PTI report of 28 October, that the party would not rest until Kumar is removed, and that if stopped at Ramlila Maidan, the party would stage a dharna outside the homes of Amit Shah and PM Modi.

As of 1 November 2026, the formal notices filed earlier in the year had been rejected. The sources for this report describe no new notice of removal in either House.